Small Favors
by Hebiaczek
Summary: A series of one-shot side stories for F&H that for various reasons didn't end up in the main story. Knowledge of the main story not required. Story 5: The Sleeping Detective, is known to be more of a joke than a real investigator – until he of course falls into sleep and gets serious. But why is it that way? By no means he is a stupid man, so why would he chose to act like one?
1. Meet you on the wettest time

_**Authors note: Welcome my dear readers! This will be a series of short one-shot stories that take place in the side-lines of 'The fox and hounds' story. They won't be put in any chronological order, I'll simply post what my muse will give me. I intend to give any important information at the start of each story, so even if you don't follow F &H feel free to enjoy this.**_

 _ **My beta for this is as always madelita :D Big thanks for her ^^**_

* * *

 _ **Ladies and gentlemen! I humbly welcome you to the first story of this series!**_

 **Time in F &H – during chapter 27;**

 **Characters in the story - KID, Kaitou KID Task Force, Nakamori Ginzo;**

 **Genere - General, Action;**

 **Warnings - none;**

 **Background information - A few heists before there was an explosion, nobody got seriously hurt, but the kaitou's condition was unknown, until he reappeared three weeks later. And although KID send a letter of apology, about the incident which indicated that it was not his fault and there were a few major arrests made it was for some time a matter of discussion whether the thief wasn't involved with the explosion. (Thank you Kensy Echo for pointing it out to me :D)  
**

 _ **So without further delay…**_

 _ **Please enjoy and review! :)**_

* * *

 **Story 1: Meet you on the wettest time**

* * *

A night of a Kaitou KID heist is never a tranquil one. With all the laughter and excited murmurs, it has more of a feeling of a festival of sorts. And actually about a year ago some small sellers started offering their goods during those events. It first started with a few people selling drinks and snacks which lead to opening small stalls with Kaitou KID themed souvenirs. Their activity was lessened after the explosion, but judging by their anew increasing numbers, the thief managed to slowly start reclaiming his image of harmless joy and wonder bringer.

Nakamori felt his annoyance grow as his gaze moved over the cheerful crowd. He wanted to close the temple grounds to the public for the time of the heists, but the sole idea of it seemed to be unimaginable to the monks. At least the head priest was a rare type of an owner who didn't actually want for the kaitou to be successful with his heist and they managed to reach a small agreement about the security measures. Nowadays most of the owners were rather thrilled than worried with the thief's interest in their belongings and either quietly cheered for him themselves (most didn't want to get on Nakamori's bad site by cheering openly) or felt indifferent about the outcome, knowing that their jewel would be returned anyway. The inspector's mood was not improved by a certain big headed, idiot detective's appearance. Ginzo may have started getting used to the teenage and kid sleuths, but only because they proved themselves useful and usually either didn't bother his Task Force, or actually helped driving KID into a corner. Mouri however was nothing more than an attention seeking plague, who did not obey orders and only increased the chaos that was so specific to the heists.

Kogoro and Ginzo were engaged in another bicker, while the other officers tried to keep the more resolute fans from entering the temple sheltering the bejeweled statue. Fortunately, after long barters made between Nakamori and the head priest, the latter agreed to form a safety cordon around the building and close it for the public just for the night. Unfortunately he did not manage to gain acceptance to close the area for a few days before the faithful night, so the police was restricted to sending undercover officers to keep an eye on the jewel (and Ginzo was not happy to hear that Hakuba slipped the information about the heist to the public before it was officially released by the police). The fans however weren't pleased the agreement. There were various attempts, proving how inventive people could be. Besides the obvious bribe, sneaking and forced attempts to get inside there were various others. There was this one fan who nearly managed to get inside by introducing himself as another detective and a specialist in catching criminals. Unfortunately for him the confused officers called for Nakamori to give his decision and by the time it happened, he was already in a very foul mood. The unlucky fan got himself arrested on charges of possibly being Kaitou KID in disguise or his assistant and escorted to be imprisoned at the station. A few arrests like that usually helped to cool down the enthusiasm of the more eager fans. Another plague the police had to deal with were Kaitou KID cosplayers. What was worse – those didn't get easily discouraged, so eventually a sector was created during each heist, where multiple white-clad fans could cheer for their idol under careful watch of a few unlucky officers.

* * *

It was expected that the thief would make his appearance outside of the temple and thus the excitement was higher. As time drew near, the countdown started. When it reached zero, a soft, warm light came into view at the top of Hozōmon, illuminating the grinning kaitou. A shriek of joy from the fans and curses from the police greeted him, the first quieting when the white clad man raised his arms.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to tonight's heist~!" KID had to make a brief pause for the spike of joy to subdue. "But for this event I have a special request to you, my lovely audience. As much as your cheers please me, I would like to ask of you to exceptionally remain quiet, in respect for the goddess Kannon, hosting today's occasion and to not startle my new tiny assistants." The place got filled with surprised murmurs and the kaitou's grin spread. "Now then without further delay! Let the heist begin~!"

On cue the soft light vanished and the thief wrapped himself with his cape. All the artificial lights surrounding the place vanished. Taking the hint, the sellers reduced their personal lightings as well. Loud cracks were heard, as the reflectors prepared by the police were damaged with tiny firecrackers. Invisibly to the spectators, Kaito allowed himself to reduce his maniacal grin, into a softer one, hoping that his father would be watching this particular event. But he didn't let the tranquil of the night to last long. With a cheerful laughter he spread his arms, releasing the gently glowing fireflies. Soft shamisen music started flowing from the hidden speakers around the area and two flocks of his doves circled the temple, one flock dropping glitter, the other some more of the shining bugs. When they were nearing the building again, six more birds flew from the kaitou himself, splitting and joining the two flocks by the temple. KID smiled and took a step in midair, as casually as he did during the first time he did the trick, but this time there was no helicopter above him. After a few more he started running towards the temple, filling the air with glitter which was dropping from his cape, swirling behind him. With a puff of glittering smoke, that left another bunch of fireflies, he disappeared right before touching the temple roof. While the thief was gone from view, doing his magic inside the building, some more of the glowing bugs got released from their hidden containers around the sacred grounds, causing waves of awes from spectators.

The inside was on high alert. The officers, of course, did not heed the kaitou's plead for keeping quiet, nor did they bend to the silent order for cutting the lights. Although all of the larger light sources were damaged, some of the smaller torches got spared. Regrettably those who held those could not count themselves as fortunate, as KID seemed determined to put all of the obstructions to his show out. So thus the sleeping gas was unleashed at those who defied to the order, followed by the shots of the card-gun cutting off the gas masks, resulting in knocking out the torch wielders. In the chaos that was unleashed, the head priest, accompanied by two of other monks stood their ground in front of the sacred statue, trying not to show their awe at the gently glowing lights hovering inside of the temple, or the show of skill and agility of the thief. Somewhere in between dodging his pursuers, KID found the opportunity to stop briefly and tip his hat before the virtuous men, before disappearing in another puff of glittering smoke. The head priest gasped, angered, as he turned around and noticed the thief standing on their sacred goddess' head. The outrageous kaitou grinned manically and coached wrapping himself with the cloak, covering the head of the statue for a moment. He stayed there for a moment until the taunted officers attempted to jump him. He disappeared again in a puff of smoke and didn't appear anymore. The head priest along with the two monks and officers gazed with surprise at the statue before them. As expected, the jewel was gone, but in return there was a necklace around its neck. Instead of a pendant, there was a small lit candle, hanged on a thick chain. Closer inspection revealed that there was an inscription on the chain - a prayer to the goddess to show mercy for all of those who denied themselves to open their hearts to the wonder and joy, for the world surrounding them.

Faintly hearing the quiet claps that must have been accompanying KID leaving the area, the strict head priest smiled softly to the sacred statue and let himself get drowned in a silent prayer. Later, when the police was gathering the evidence, he did not allow them to take away the necklace, treating it as the kaitou's rightful tribute and prayer to Kannon. And everybody has the right to be heard by the gods. Somehow the priest was no longer angered at the thief, who taught him a valuable lesson that he was sure to pass on.

* * *

Despite of what the public might think, the end of a heist is hardly an end of police work. The brave officers have to collect and catalogue all of possible evidence, fill in the reports and let the calmer of the prisoners loose (because there really is no point to press any serious charges to the eager fans, the only point in imprisoning them is only to stop them from interfering during the heist itself – usually the inability to watch KID perform is punishment large enough anyway). The biggest problem in collecting the evidence is again the presence of fans, who would love to get their hands on anything their idol used. It is rare, but sometimes even small riots break out because of this. Whenever KID uses any audio, controlling or jamming devices, the officers nearly expect to find out that those are the same that should be already locked away in their evidence deposit, that, when they return to check, got replaced by decoys, with hidden cards of thanks. The thought that they are actually helping the thief with securing his equipment is mostly enraging, but secretly also kind of nice.

In all, the work in the Kaitou KID Task Force is a hard, ungrateful and humiliating one. But the merits of having front row seats for the thief's show and the possibility to match their wits with him makes the effort worth it, at least for most. And even those who can't take the pressure are left with wonderful memories and sometimes even a tiny gift of gratitude from the magical kaitou.

* * *

 **And that's it :D I hope you enjoyed it~**

 _ **A tiny dictionary (inspired by Kensy Echo review):**_

 _ **The Hozōmon - it is a two story gate. The inner of two large entrance gates that ultimately leads to the Sensō-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo (The temple is dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon).**_

 ** _Shamisen - is a plucked stringed instrument. Its construction follows a model similar to that of a guitar or a banjo, with a neck and strings stretched across a resonating body. The neck of the shamisen is fretless and slimmer than that of a guitar or banjo._**

 ** _Kannon - a spiritual figure of mercy, in English called a goddess, although it is not fully accurate to European understanding of a 'god'. Fun fact: According to legend, a statue of the Kannon was found in the Sumida River in 628 by two fishermen, the brothers Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari._**

 **Initially I planned to start posting this after I've finished my big projects, because as those who follow my stories know – lately I have little time to write. So regrettably don't expect any updates of this soon (sorry ^^"). It was** **Cerlinfia's review that inspired me to write it~ Anyhow – I'll gladly listen to any requests for this you might have~ At the moment I do have a few stories in mind for this series planned, but unlike writing heists, those would take me a bit of my time, that I prefer to spend on writing big projects – I hope you understand.**

 ** _*bows* See you next time~_**


	2. Not a father

**_Ladies and gentlemen! I humbly welcome you to the second story of this series!_**

 ** _Ginzo knows that he is not a perfect father to his own daughter. And that he is not even close to being a substitute of a father to Kaito. But in his rough and clumsy way, he still cares for the lone boy, who's been drifting further and further away._**

 **Time in F &H – background of chapter 28, before and after story 1 of this series;**

 **Characters in the story – Nakamori Ginzo, Nakamori Aoko, Kuroba Kaito;**

 **Genre – emotional exploration, family;**

 **Warnings - none;**

 **Background information – Being KID for over 2 years now resulted in Kaito drifting away from everybody. Now he's a rare guest at Nakamoris', too often busy with his part-time job (as he explained it to anybody interested). A month prior this story, Kaito officially went to a small trip with his mother and after a week's absence returned slightly injured.**

 ** _So without further delay…_**

 ** _Please enjoy and review! :)_**

* * *

 **Story 2: Not a father**

* * *

Nakamori was tired and angry when he returned on Monday evening from work. A KID heist was going to happen shortly and despite that the head priest was easier to deal with, he still didn't allow full protection measures to be taken before the event. It made Ginzo blind with fury to think that KID might have already switched the 'Morning Shine' with a decoy that would blast confetti in their faces or simply vanish into thin air during the heist.

This is why it took him until nearly after late dinner he had with his daughter to notice that something was wrong. He moved his gaze to the usually talkative girl and saw her quietly chewing on her meal, instead of shoving big portions to her mouth and fuming over Kaito's latest pranks. It was obvious that something was bothering her. Ginzo swallowed his bite and set aside the chopsticks.

"Is everything alright, Aoko?"

She cast him a surprised look that turned a bit spooked, when she tried covering it with a giggle. "Sure! What could possibly be wrong~?"

The inspector sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes. "Aoko... I know I'm not the perfect father. But I want you to depend on your old man a bit. So what is it? Something at school? Has Kaito done something again?"

Her eyes widened a bit after he mentioned her friend's name. She lowered her gaze and shook her head, giving a soft, but also sad smile. "Nothing new really. Just that Kaito told Aoko that he will be gone for a while from next week."

"Gone? Is Chikage taking him on a trip again?"

She gave him a smile that tried to imitate a cheerful one. "Not quite. But you can't tell Hakuba-kun about it, alright?" Aoko continued after he gave a small nod. "She found him an internship as a magician in Las Vegas. He's leaving on Sunday noon and will be gone until after summer break. Aoko is really happy for him. Being able to make such a big step to fulfill his dream and all~"

'But he's doing the step leaving you behind.' Ginzo finished in his mind and moved his gaze towards the window. Kuroba's house was still dark, Kaito probably still busy with his part time job. It was admirable that this mischievous trickster has turned out so responsible, but it didn't feel right to the inspector. Kids should be kids as long as they could. He tried talking with Chikage about it, but she just waved it off, chirping over how her boy was mature and responsible. The truth was that Ginzo's opinion didn't matter here. Despite that he felt like a step father to the boy, the truth was that he wasn't. Moreover the abandoned kid never really tried depending on him either. He never expected to be able to replace Toichi in the boy's heart of course, but he hoped to help and fill the void. He wondered sometimes if he didn't fail Kaito by letting him shut his feelings out. At the time this child seemed in so much pain that Ginzo greeted the weak smile attempts on his face with gratitude. He failed to notice when the fake smile became all that the boy showed. And now Kaito drifted so far away that the inspector barely ever saw him. He wondered when the last time the boy shared his concerns with the inspector was. Or if he ever really did that.

Ginzo sighed heavily and turned his gaze back to Aoko. "Ask Kaito-kun to come tomorrow for breakfast, would you? I'd like to have a word with him."

The girl blinked, confused. "But aren't you busy dad? I mean the heist will be soon."

"I'll have to stay at work longer anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem if I'll be a bit later than usual." He grimaced at her. "I'm sorry Aoko... I'm a lousy father, aren't I?"

She shook her head violently. "Of course not! You have to catch this filthy thief and Aoko is proud of you! Somebody should teach him a lesson and dad is the only one who can!"

They laughed and talked about how they would want to punish KID for running rampage for so long, pushing aside the grim mood that Kaito's upcoming departure caused.

* * *

Ginzo was in middle of brushing his teeth when he heard his daughter's fearful roar, urging Kaito to come and have breakfast with them. There was a time when he would scold Aoko for acting like that and bothering other neighbors, instead of going over to the boy and bringing him over. But she always would return to the habit anyway. The inspector was walking down the stairs, when he saw the front door open as Kaito let himself in, grumbling under his breath with annoyance. The teen stopped in his tracks and blinked at the inspector with surprise, clearly not expecting the man there.

"Oh, hi, Nakamori-keibu~! I thought you'd go early to work today because of the heist?"

"Good morning, Kaito-kun. Don't you worry, I'll catch that damned thief this time." He chose to ignore the small snicker from the boy. "But I wanted to have word with you. Aoko told me that you picked up an internship with a magician in America."

The teen scratched his cheek with a sheepish smile and closed the door behind him. "Um, yeah... Sorry for not telling you before, but I didn't want to jinx it, you know~" He let out a weak laugh, as if unsure of the man's reaction to the news.

The inspector sighed heavily. "It's fine, Kaito-kun. Aoko told me you'll be leaving this Sunday and won't be back before the end of summer break? I hope you're not planning on quitting school."

"No, of course not, don't worry about that, inspector. I've talked to the teachers and I'm going to have my mock exams this week, so I won't have any trouble. I might have to work a bit harder after the summer break, but that means that at least I won't be bored~"

Ginzo blinked, surprised, although it probably shouldn't have shocked him at all. "Did Shawashiro-sensei agree to this as well? I thought she was rather strict."

The prankster's grin turned mischievous. "She wasn't happy about it at first, but we came to an agreement~"

The inspector sighed heavily, knowing that scolding the magician for terrorizing his teachers was a wasted effort. Still, it was somewhat nice to know that some things didn't change. "What about the school trip? It is your last summer break in high school after all."

The teenager shrugged, seemingly indifferent about it. "I'm not a fan of beach, you know, so I'm more looking forward to the Winter break anyway~"

Nakamori bit his tongue before he could say that they wouldn't get a winter trip, since it was too close to final exams, so the summer was Kaito's last chance to spend some time with his classmates. Instead, he turned his expression serious.

"Alright. I just hope you won't be working with that nitwit who got you injured last time."

Kaito crooked his head. "Huh?"

"Don't you 'huh' me boy. You had your bones bruised last time your mother had you entering a show. You have to be more careful, you hear me?"

Kaito gave him a smile that felt so distant and Nakamori bit back a curse. He didn't have the right to edify this boy and he probably shouldn't have said that. But he couldn't help that he was worried for him.

"No worries, Nakamori-keibu~ Willson-san is not an amateur like that guy was. And he is bound to keep me in check~ I hope to learn a lot from him~" He added with a bright smile.

Ginzo sighed heavily. "Alright. So what time do you have your flight? I'll drive you to the airport."

Kaito blinked at him, surprised again. "But didn't KID promise to return his heist target on Sunday?"

The man snorted with annoyance. "That is if he will manage to steal it in the first place, you mean." Once again he didn't comment on the slight smile the prankster gave him. "Anyway, KID never shows up returning the jewels, so there is no harm if I arrive later. I think my men are capable enough to gather any evidence in case the heist target is returned before I get there. I had the day scheduled free anyway before the damned thief sent his notice. And it would be probably a bother for you to get to the airport will all the luggage on your own."

After a brief moment of hesitation, the magician gave him a fond smile. "Thank you, inspector, that would be a great help~ My flight is at 11:15 AM."

"Alright. We'll handle the details on Saturday. Now hurry up and eat. Don't want you to be late for school." He turned to the kitchen, where Aoko was already finishing preparing the meal.

"Hi dad, Kaito!" She greeted then with a cheerful smile, without interrupting her cooking. "Start eating before it gets cold~!"

They both greeted her back and thanked her for the meal, sitting at the table.

* * *

On Saturday, during breakfast in between the cheerful atmosphere, Ginzo managed to determine with Kaito the time they needed to leave on the next day, so the boy wouldn't be late, but still had enough time to visit his father's grave. He had to be very careful to not give away his daughter's plans for the surprise birthday party she's been preparing for her childhood friend later that day.

The inspector made sure to have a talk with Jii-san to make sure the kids would be safe during the fun and on their way home. The parlor was going to be closed and the old man promised to call a taxi for the teenagers who lived further away, so they wouldn't be walking around alone so late at night. He proposed Aoko to help with that, but she declined. He let it go only after Hakuba promised that he would drive her and Kaito back himself. Ginzo didn't let it hurt him too much, as he understood that his daughter was just caring for him.

* * *

On Sunday he got up early and waited at the window to see Kaito dressed in a black suit walk by to the graveyard. He knew the kids returned very late after the party. Aoko was still sleeping soundly and was bound to be grumpy and sleepy when he would wake her up in two hours. It was somewhat amazing how Kaito could manage on so little sleep, but Ginzo wasn't sure if it was so good for him. Hopefully he could catch up rest on the plane. The inspector went downstairs to keep himself occupied till he would wake up his daughter for breakfast.

Later that day, when they were driving to the airport, the excitement was nearly pouring out of Kaito, as he was bouncing, beside Aoko, on the backseat. Ginzo watched him in the mirror and couldn't help but recall how he was bouncing in the same way, when the inspector would drive them to a magic shows as children. The boy might have grown, but he still felt the same. And now was leaving to the other side of the world. Ginzo focused back on the road before them.

At the airport, the Nakamoris went with him to check in his baggage. And followed him to the gates. As he was about to say his goodbyes, Aoko threw her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly.

"Bakaito… You better give Aoko a call when you land!"

He hugged her. "Ahoko, it'll be after midnight here when I land and I'll probably have lots to do there. I'll give you a call tomorrow morning, alright? Oh wait... um... It'll be probably around 11 PM here, is that alright?"

"It's fine..." She grumbled and pulled back. "But you could still give me a sign when you land."

He sighed heavily. "Alright, I'll send you a message, but I'm turning my phone off afterwards, you hear me? I'll give you a call every now and then from the computer. I expect to be busy during the day and having some shows in the evening, so I don't know how often I can manage." He let her go to get a look at her face.

She nodded in confirmation, not trusting her voice anymore and took a small step back. Ginzo placed a hand on the boy's arm to get his attention.

"You be good, Kaito-kun. I don't want to hear you caused some trouble there, you hear me?" He scolded him with a fond smile and slightly tightened his grip on the too slim shoulder, adding without a tease in his tone. "Hope you'll have fun."

Kaito grinned back at him. "I'm sure I will~ I'll send you some pictures and maybe a film from my shows~ I just can't wait~"

The inspector snorted. "Just hold back your joy and don't give a hard time to the other passengers. Try to get some sleep instead. It'll be early morning there when you land. Here..." He took out a small gift bag from his pocket. "Happy Birthday Kaito-kun, hope it'll prove useful."

"Um, thank you." The magician took the bag and pulled out its contents to see them through swiftly.

Inside, there was an inflatable headrest and a portable video game, with two cartridges - one was an electronic shōgi and another was a popular arcade game. "Oh~ It's great, thanks~" Kaito beamed to the inspector and put the gifts in his backpack.

Ginzo put his hands in his pockets and smiled back at him. "I'm glad you like it. Now better get moving, or you'll be late. Have a safe trip."

"Alright~ Thanks for dropping me off. See ya later~" He turned to Aoko and noticed that the girl wasn't looking at him.

He conjured a flower right under her nose and as she took it with a fond smile, he flipped her skirt, dodging her strike smoothly. He tried to run from her, pushing his way through the protesting crowd in the line, but got stopped in his attempt and Aoko managed to hit him hard with her fist. She kept yelling at him for quite a while, before she finally let him go, when the line was getting short already. Ginzo sighed tiredly, seeing that the boy was already causing trouble. He snorted with amusement, seeing the confused faces of the airport security as Kaito emptied his pockets to the cart, before stepping through the metal detector. The inspector couldn't help but worry looking at the boy's slim back disappearing into the crowd. He knew Kaito could manage on his own, like he always had, but the view still bothered him. Like it was the last time he would be seeing the magician. Ginzo swung an arm over his daughter's shoulders and held her close, when he saw her clench her fingers on the flower's stem. They didn't see him anymore afterwards, but Aoko still insisted to stay and see his plane fly off.

* * *

After work on that day, instead of driving straight back home, he took a detour and got out of the car by the graveyard. He stopped by his late neighbor's grave and let his gaze fall on the inscription. He never was very close to the cheerful man. They were both very busy, with Toichi often away from town due to his shows. But despite how the magician was distant, he seemed like a very warm and respectful person. Kaito must have inherited the mischief from his mother. Aoko was very fond of the man who often invited both Nakamoris to his performance, whenever they agreed to it, even if it was abroad. Ginzo was the one to drive the children and Chikage there when that accident put an end to Kaito's real smile.

The inspector lit a cigarette and spoke quietly, with a grumbling tone. "You'd be proud of your boy. He's smart, stubborn and kind. And seems he grew into a fine man, following his dream now. It just happened too darn fast, you know. I just hope he will be more careful than you were…" He sighed heavily, blowing out smoke through his nose. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep the promise to keep an eye on him in your stead. Couldn't protect even his childhood. I just wish he'd ever let me do that. But I probably should have seen that coming, since I'm a failed dad to my own daughter, eh? Seems I failed both of them." He put the cigarette out in his portable ashtray. "And now it seems he intends to break my little girl's heart. Too bad… Always thought they would make a nice couple, wouldn't mind having him as a son in law. And Aoko really loves him. At least he still tries to be a caring friend to her." He took a glance at his watch. "Gotta go, or Aoko will get worried. No rest for you though. Keep an eye on your boy and bring him back safe, you hear?" He cast one last glance at the lifeless stone and turned away, going back to his car, to drive back to his daughter.

It took him some effort to have his tired daughter get some rest before the promised message from Kaito came. She finally did doze off, leaning on his arm, while the inspector was keeping himself awake by mindlessly watching a quietly humming television program. It was nearly 1 AM when the message came and Ginzo reluctantly woke Aoko, so she could read it and go back to bed. He hugged his daughter tight, giving her support, as she pursed her lips tight, reading the short message in which Kaito was whining about the hot weather and promising to call her, before he would start his next day. Ginzo found himself hoping that the boy wouldn't change too much during his absence and everything would get back to normal again. It was going to be a too quiet month and a half and both of the Nakamoris hoped it would pass fast.

* * *

 **End note:**

 **shōgi - is also known as Japanese chess or the Generals' Game, is a two-player strategy board game in the same family as Western (international) chess and is the most popular of a family of chess variants native to Japan. Shōgi means general's (shō) board game (gi).  
**

 ** _*bows* See you next time~_**


	3. The wrongs and guesses

**_Ladies and gentlemen! I humbly welcome you to the third story of this series!_**

 **So, I'm leaving on a trip again – unfortunately I didn't have time to figure out completely the next chapter of F &H, so instead I'm giving you this little story :D Hope you'll enjoy it~**

 **Time in F &H – a few months before Chapter 1;**

 **Characters in the story - Edogawa Conan, KID, Haibara Ai, Agasa Hiroshi, Hattori Heiji (Ran, Kogoro and Ginzo in the background);**

 **Genre - crime, general;**

 **Warnings - none;**

 **Background information - This story takes place in the near future of the series' events** **. A** **s I did not like the Movie 19, I'm not including it here, all others are** **included** **\- so Kaito knows Conan is Shinichi and has disguised himself as the detective a couple of times. The description of KID in the story is copied from the manga I've read.**

 ** _So without further delay…_**

 ** _Please enjoy and review! :)_**

* * *

 **Story 3: The wrongs and guesses**

* * *

Conan woke up with a grumble and shot an unimpressed glare at the snoring Kogoro, who, once again, has shifted in his sleep and had a leg laying on top of Shinichi's. The boy felt an itch under his shirt, so he raised a hand to scratch it, while trying to set himself free from under the man's weight. He frowned, feeling a paper under his fingers and froze, then he pulled out a card from under his clothes. He looked at it and read the familiar looking letters.

 _Dear Tantei-kun! Have you missed me~?  
If you don't have any plans, I'd be most delighted, if you came to see me at noon in Beika Park near the fountain~ I do believe you won't regret __accepting_ _my offer~  
KK_

Despite the lack of his usual doddle, the detective had no doubts it was a message from KID. But what did the thief want from him? Shinichi grimaced and squirmed his way out from under Mouri's leg. He put the card under his day clothes and went to the bathroom, absently noting the current time. It was still 7:34 AM.

It was disturbing and shocking that the kaitou went into the room while Shinichi and the elder detective were sleeping and managed to not only roam the place, but also put something under his clothes. On second thought, maybe it wasn't so surprising. Conan rubbed his eyes in annoyance. Kogoro was always loud in his sleep and sometimes moved around, bumping with his little roommate, so it was only to be expected that Kudo build up a heavier sleep. And it was KID's specialty to move quietly around. Still it was disturbing that he decided to do it at all.

He didn't like the idea of going with the thief's plan, but it did stir his curiosity. And after all the kaitou never did anything to threaten him, nor anybody else. On the contrary – Shinichi had to admit that a couple of times KID did go out his way to lend the detective a hand, so it probably wouldn't hurt to check out what it was all about. In worst case scenario, he was up for having his dignity ruffled up a bit.

* * *

Shinichi rode his sun-powered skateboard hastily, cursing under his breath. It was already noon and he was nowhere near the park. Unfortunately this was the day when Ran decided to insist on spending some time together and he had some trouble leaving her, as she was having one of those days that she missed his older self. Which was odd, since he managed to meet with her briefly not long ago. He sure hoped the whole thing was worth it, or he would make KID pay. If he was still waiting that is… Conan cursed under his breath and stepped on it, narrowly avoiding colliding with a passerby.

He hopped off his vehicle 15 minutes late and started frantically looking around. He wanted to call out for the kaitou, but it's not like he could be screaming out for the internationally wanted criminal and expect to be answered to. He trailed his gaze over the few people standing around and sighed in annoyance as neither looked like they were the master of disguise waiting for him. For all Conan knew, the man could have already left, seeing as he had a heist later that night. He sighed heavily and sat on a bench, taking out the card from KID, wondering what it could have been all about.

"Tsk, tsk… you sure are rude Tantei-kun. Making me wait for so long. And here I thought you had manners~" The young man stopped behind the bench Conan was sitting on.

Shinichi couldn't help the gasp of surprise leaving his mouth as he turned to the person. This time KID was disguised as lightly tan male with long chestnut hair. The only thing that stood out were the indigo eyes glinting at the detective from over his sunglasses. With a smirk, the kaitou pushed the spectacles back on. Conan snorted with annoyance, inwardly happy that the thief waited for him.

"Like creeping around a child's bedroom are good manners."

KID snorted in amusement and returned to playing with his phone. "Touché~ But I do believe it is not your room, but rather Mouri-tantei's~"

"Still, creeping around anyone's room, especially while they are sleeping is disturbing." Shinichi pointed out with flat stare. "What is it about? I'm not up for idle chatter today and I will make you feel sorry if-"

The man laughed, cutting the boy off and shook his head. "Tantei-kun~ Really, as much I appreciate our conversations, I am a rather busy person myself. But the latest gossip I've overheard sounded like something that should interest your… ah! cousin~" He said the word with a mocking grin.

Shinichi frowned, alarmed by those words. KID may have used his identity a couple of times already, but this was not a heist. He doubted the thief would be pulling his leg just for the kicks. Or maybe he wanted his rival to be chasing his tail, while the kaitou would go on with his heist, undisturbed by his adversary. He narrowed his eyes with suspicions.

"I'm listening."

The man sighed and his expression turned serious. "Apparently my dear inspector's superiors are growing impatient with his constant failures concerning catching little old me. They expect results, or at least extending the range of investigation aiming to uncover my identity…"

"What does it have to do with me?" Conan cut in with annoyance, not liking where this was leading.

"Patience, my dear Tantei-kun~ The point is, my faithful inspector decided to expand the number of suspects and keep a closer eye on them." He turned to the detective, letting his sunglasses slide of so their eyes met. "I do believe it would be in the best interest if Meitantei graced my today's event with his presence. If he doesn't, I'd say it is highly possible he might find himself questioned and held in custody, until I hold another heist."

Conan's eyes grew wide, as his jaws clenched. He did have a few missed calls from Nakamori on his other cell phone (he couldn't answer it because of Ran) and it did explain why the girl was so uneasy today. "You…" He growled angrily. "It's all your fault and your disguising as me!"

The kaitou's eyes narrowed in slight annoyance. "Oh~? That is where you're wrong." He hissed back in sharp tone. "I have disguised as you only once for my own gain, out of my own will and it was in exchange for me doing this for your gain, as I moved the suspicions away from your tiny self, mind you. And that time I made sure that Meitantei had a valid reason to disappear. The only dubious time was when YOU asked me to dress up like that, so we could fly with the police helicopter. Despite it was being your idea, I did take my time to make sure your friends' testimonies were enough for the police to believe I'm not a detective outside the uniform. Your current problems are hardly my fault. And I am giving you a heads up, so you could easily slip any suspicions. I could have ignored this."

Shinichi flinched and looked away. "Sorry…" He grumbled. It would have been so easy to just blame the thief. "So what do they have on me?"

KID sighed heavily and snapped his fingers. A thin file appeared in his gloved hand. Was it gloved before? The detective dismissed the question and took the offered papers.

"It's a copy, feel free to keep it." He assured, seeing uncertainty in the other's eyes and sighed. "I am afraid Tantei-san used to be quite frantic about catching me. And apparently after one of my early heists, he found a hair on a scene. Shocking, isn't it? I wouldn't call the places I hold my events filthy, but they are hardly sterile. Anyway… for some reason, the dear detective believed it's mine. So he ran a few tests and added the results to what he already found out about me."

The detective focused his gaze on the file and muttered as he read out. "Height 174 cm, weight 58 kg, eyes left 2.0, right 2.0, highly intelligent with IQ 400-"

"I do feel flattered that it is so transparent~" The kaitou cut in with a grin. Shinichi just rolled his eyes and continued.

"Has several voices, good at playing all kinds of sports, has a lot of power, but lacks intention."

"Now that was rude…" KID cut in once again with a scowl.

"Will you stop that?" Conan growled and continued. "Japanese male, blood type B, age 15-17…" The detective trailed off, running his gaze through the description again.

"Sounds familiar?" The thief asked, after a few minutes of silence.

"This has to be some kind of joke…" The boy mumbled, clenching his hands over the paper.

"Well… what can I say? There are rather few certified geniuses, fewer who live in Tokyo. And the number with matching blood type, plus being conveniently away…" He spread his arms in a helpless gesture without ending the thought. "But I am truly sorry about this misunderstanding." He added honestly.

Conan cursed under his breath. Like he didn't have enough problems already. Even if the kaitou really did do his best to throw off suspicions from his times when he dressed up as the detective, in the light of this evidence the case could easily be opened again. And it seemed there wasn't much he could do to stop this.

KID sighed heavily and stood up, dusting off his pants. "Well I wouldn't worry too much about it, Tantei-kun. Nakamori-keibu didn't believe in this research and it is doubtful he believes in it now. He just has to do something to take the higher ups from his back. I'm positive that if Meitantei manages to come to today's event then after brief questioning and cheek pulling, he will be left alone."

"It's impossible…" Shinichi mumbled through his clenched teeth.

"Then prepare some valid evidence of him being elsewhere during the time. I am sure you can think of something. Anyway~ It's been nice seeing you, but now I have to prepare for tonight~ Hope to meet you there. Whatever the form~" He added with a wink and turned around, leaving the boy on the bench.

Conan hopped off and moved to stop the thief, but then dismissed the idea. There wasn't any point in it and he had to act fast. He took his sun-powered skateboard and rode it fast to Agasa's.

* * *

"No." Was a blunt response from Ai, even before Shinichi managed to finish his explanation.

"But Haibara! It's important! If I don't come, it can turn into a disaster!" He urged.

"And if you take the antidote after such a short period, it can ruin your health." She pointed out calmly, after taking a sip of her tea.

"I already took it once right after I changed back and I was fine!"

"No, it wasn't fine and don't even try to trick me like that!" She hissed at him, placing the cup on the counter. "I am the one who makes your blood tests, so you can quit hiding how badly it influenced you. I am not going to let you risk your life over such a stupid reason and that's final!"

"It won't matter if I don't have a life to return to!"

"Oi, oi Shinichi… calm down please…" Agasa raised his arms, attempting to end the quarrel. "I'm sure we can deal with it, even if you get accused of being KID. You'll just have to be careful with who you show yourself to after taking the temporary antidote for a while-"

"Yeah? I'll have to hide from Ran as well?!" He snapped at the old man and sighed, driving a hand over his face, mumbling. "Sorry, professor… It's just that I can't deal with more of this crap…"

"I understand, Shinichi… But from what Ai-chan is saying this is too dangerous. Can't you ask your mother to come and stand in for you?"

The detective shook his head. "They are on the other side of the globe. There is no way they could make it in time. Besides… Nakamori will undoubtedly want to pull her face and that would ruin the disguise. The only one who could manage it is KID himself, but even he can't be in two places at the same time. And even if he did, then there is no certainty that they wouldn't want to put him in custody for a while. It wouldn't help me if he decided to break out of arrest." He rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Why don't you try calling this whole Nakamori and throw him off?" Haibara proposed, not looking at him.

"I will. I have to call him back anyway. But I wanted to see if I can get you to help me. It would be easier…"

The girl slowly shook her head. "Sorry, Kudo-kun, but I won't let you throw away your chance for the antidote to ever work just for the sake of your fame."

The boy winced, but didn't want to argue anymore. There wasn't any point anyway. With a heavy sigh, he took out his phone and called the inspector, thinking of his best excuse. At least he had to try and assure that they wouldn't try to lock him up for questioning the next time he managed to turn back to his teen self.

* * *

Shinichi didn't really feel like going to the heist at all. Usually he enjoyed the cheerful event and merry chases after the thief, but this time he felt angry at the man. It wasn't exactly KID's fault, but on the other hand it somewhat was. In the end, if the kaitou wasn't there, then he wouldn't get accused of being him. He knew it was low of him, but he wanted to blame somebody. So he buried his face in the pillow and mumbled to Ran, who came and see why he wasn't leaving, that he felt bad and wanted to stay in bed. He didn't usually mop, but felt that he had every right to this time.

He knew he could deal with it. He doubted Megure or other officers from Division 1 would doubt him, but still… He really did have too much to shoulder and didn't want to deal with any more trouble. He just wanted his old life back, was it so much to ask for?

It was already late and the heist was either already at its end, or nearing it. Depending on how much KID wanted to play with his pursuers this time. Mocking them with his superiority, like he usually did. Shinichi started regretting that he didn't go, just to rub that annoying smirk off his face with a well-aimed soccer ball, when his phone started buzzing. His other phone. With a grumble he looked at it, half expecting it to be Nakamori, but was surprised seeing that it was Heiji calling. He decided to pick up, without using his bowtie.

"Hattori? What's wrong?"

 _"_ _That's my line. I dropped everything after your call and now I'm on Beika station, just like you asked. Where are you?!"_

Shinichi blinked in surprise. He certainly did not call the Osakan, seeing that there was nothing his friend could do to help him and he didn't want to whine to him about his own misfortune. And it clicked. The detective groaned in annoyance. What was the idiot thief up to now? Did Shinichi not suffer enough today?

"It wasn't me. It was most likely KID who called you… Sheesh…"

 _"_ _What? Why would he?"_ There was a brief pause, before he continued. _"You think he is somewhere here?"_

"No idea… Sorry, Hattori, I'll meet you half way, alright? Had a lousy day anyway. I'll tell you when I meet you."

 _"_ _Sure. See you then."_

Conan disconnected the call and gave the phone a small smile. He probably could use to talk to a friend right now. Maybe that was the stupid thief's intention? He rolled his eyes in annoyance, while walking out of the agency. The last thing he needed was a kaitou taking care of him.

He was nearly there when his "Conan's" phone called. This time it was an unidentified number. The detective frowned and answered it.

"Hello?"

 _"_ _Tsk, tsk Tantei-kun. You missed my show~!"_

"Why are you calling me?" He growled back with all the buildup anger.

 _"_ _Ouch! Seems it was a good decision to call instead of showing up~! Seems you would bite my head off if I did~!"_

"Get lo-"

 _"_ _Gladly."_ He cut in with more serious tone, but returned to his cheerful one right away. _"But before that, I'd like to inform you that at least your dear cousin did grace my event with his presence~"_

Shinichi stopped in his tracks, startled by the thief's words. "Come again?" He blurted out.

 _"_ _I said that Meitantei came to my humble heist and viewed it from the side lines. Sadly, apparently he did not join the merry chase, but was seen by Nakamori-keibu. Unfortunately before their talk could last he got a phone call and took off~ Not that long ago, might I add~"_ The detective could hear the thief was grinning right now. " _Although Nakamori-keibu did manage to pull his cheeks before he did…"_ He added with slight annoyance.

"This is why you brought Hattori here. KID y-" He started, but got cut off again, by the kaitou's smooth tone.

 _"_ _I do believe you might have quite a bit of talking to do tonight, but hopefully you can manage~ You might want to save an image I've send you. Do not think poorly of me anymore~ Good night Tantei-kun~"_

There was a click and the call has ended before Shinichi could respond. A text message came right afterwards with an image attached. He saw his teenage self smiling at the camera, held by somebody a lot shorter than him. Kudo in the picture was standing in an excited crowd, which was cheering for KID who was flying on his glider above them. He had no idea how the thief has done it, half expecting that the kaitou in the air was either his assistant or one of his dummies.

* * *

He met up with Hattori a few minutes later, explaining him the situation. Together they thought of a reason for Shinichi's sudden departure that covered both his own excuses he made earlier to Nakamori and Heiji's arrival. The Osakan growled in frustration when it became clear that he was the one who had to later go to the station and lay it all out. It was a pain, but as much as KID predicted, the inspector wasn't very much into the whole investigation and after a lot of cursing and foul promises to the 'absent' detective he let them both out, deciding that the picture 'the boy made', his own sighting of Shinichi, Hattori's testimony and all of the previous assurance that Kudo couldn't be KID were enough for him to close the wretched case and return to more serious matters.

* * *

They were walking back the empty streets towards the agency, with Shinichi worrying slightly about Ran's reaction when they reached their destination, when Heiji broke the silence with a snort. The shrunken detective raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"Nothing~" The Osakan waved a hand. "I just figured that you found yourself a nice protector here~"

"Ha-ha… Very funny, Hattori." He grumbled back, but couldn't help a small smile showing up on his face.

"I think it wouldn't hurt if I saw the guy sometime myself. And watching him on the TV was always fun. Give me a call when he announces his next heist?"

Shinichi snickered at that and gave a shrug. "Sure. Might be interesting to chase him with you~"

"Wanna bet I'll catch him before you do~?" The other responded with a snort, accepting the challenge. "So? You thought out how you will repay him for the help?"

"Barou… It was his fault to begin with." He stated with bemused glare, but sighed afterwards. "Well… Maybe I'll go easy with him the next time I manage to corner him."

Heiji smirked, but bit back a comment for the fond smile his friend tried to hide. "Alright then. Give me a shout out when you manage that. Wouldn't be fair to challenge you before that."

Another snicker and an eye roll "Sure."

* * *

Later when he was getting ready for bed, Conan found a tiny listening device on the brim of his shirt. He wondered what to do with it, suppressing his first thought to crash it. Carefully he attached it to the card KID left with him last night and whispered to it.

"Thanks. I owe you one."

As he stood on a chair to clench the card on the window, he noticed a white dove descend towards him from a nearby electricity line. It landed gently on his extended hand so he smiled fondly at it and gave it the card. The bird obediently took it in its beak. The detective stroked it gently before sending it off to the sky. He watched the white dot fly away until Ran called out to him, asking to close the window and go to sleep. Reluctantly he obeyed her.

* * *

 **End notes: It took Conan a few months to corner KID, as either the kaitou did not hold any events, or the detective was unable to attend them** **and two times the thief managed to slip** **from** **his grasp.**

 **As you can see I choose that Shin has B blood type, because I tried researching it and it is only said that he has some rare type, which is not 0 - so it's either A or B.**


	4. Who are we?

**_Ladies and gentlemen! I humbly welcome you to the next story of this series!_**

 ** _It's easy to watch KID on the screen, sit back and enjoy. It's also easy to just chase him around, doing your best to catch him. But it does get complicated when you interact with him and have him help you. But can you really call a friend somebody who hides behind a mask?_**

 **Time in F &H – night between chapter 6 and 7;**

 **Characters in the story – Kudo Shinichi;**

 **Genre – emotional exploration, friendship;**

 **Warnings - none;**

 **Background information – There was a heist a day before, which inspired Heiji to ask Shinichi a day later what were his thoughts about KID and if he still wanted to capture him.**

 ** _So without further delay…_**

 ** _Please enjoy and review! :)_**

* * *

 **Story 4: Who are you?**

* * *

Shinichi turned restlessly in his bed, casting a jealous look at Hattori and Kogoro. He gave a heavy sigh and, resigned, returned to what his mind has been turning around throughout the whole day. The question Hattori unconsciously touched with his questions about KID. What actually was their relationship nowadays anyway? Were they rivals? People surely seen it that way, with the 'KID-killer' nickname and all, but it didn't feel right. Not really. It never felt like rivalry with the kaitou when they matched their wits. Not anymore at least. It was more like playing tag. Nothing more than playing an innocent game, with somebody who could inspire him to exert his mind, like no other did. So was he treating the thief like a friend?

The detective turned on his futon. It didn't feel right at all. He wouldn't even call KID a colleague really. They definitely were acquaintances. They both knew enough about one another, but friendship required a lot more. It required trust. And did he trust the thief? Shinichi bit the inside of his cheek. He would be lying if he denied that. The kaitou did look out for him, went out of his way to make sure he and his friends were safe, jumped after him to catch him, apparently without much thought for himself. And he did keep his secret safe, even lending a hand to help with keeping it that way. And also, using it to taunt and annoy Shinichi… Conan shot an unimpressed glare at the innocent closet before him. He let out an irritated sigh. Then again, some did like to tease more than they should. He smirked at the tanned teen, peacefully sleeping beside him, recalling how they teased each other.

So yeah – Shinichi did trust the international thief… no matter how insane it sounded. But friendship needs to be mutual, right? So, did the kaitou trust the detective? He turned it around. Could KID trust him? The boy grimaced and stirred on the futon once again. Their situation surely did put them in metaphorical shackles, although KID did throw in bits and pieces about himself every now and then. Shinichi usually didn't think much of it, but maybe… it was a form of trust? Extending a hand towards him? Or maybe testing what he would do with the knowledge? And he didn't do anything with it actually, just kept it for himself.

They definitely had something quite unique going on there. And Shinichi couldn't honestly say he didn't like the smug kaitou, no matter how full of himself he was. He was fun and cheerful and… made the detective feel safe, when he knew KID was covering his back. Because if one thing was obvious, it was that the thief would give him a hand, if Shinichi needed it, even if it would put him in danger. Which surfaced a very uncomfortable question. Would Shinichi do the same for KID?

He usually preferred to avoid the question. And it was hard to imagine a situation where it could be tested anyway. In the end, he was sly enough to not let himself get captured and everybody basically loved the guy. But it wasn't quite true. Shinichi recalled the situation he's gotten himself into with Kogoro and Heiji, when they walked around with bombs attached to their hands, having the kids, Ran and Kazuha held hostage. Back then, KID was hunted for what he'd witnessed by accident. The kaitou managed to solve his part of the problem and lent them a hand with their part. But it wasn't hard to imagine that he could get into similar trouble again.

Would Shinichi help the thief if he came to him asking for it? Without prying into his personal space? He cast a questioning look at the ceiling. Yes, he definitely would. Even if for nothing more than that he simply owed it to KID. But what if a situation would be more complicated and put Shinichi in a conflicted situation? What would he do if, for example, the kaitou was about to get captured by the police? He was a criminal and by all means, he deserved to get captured. Even if Shinichi didn't really want that to happen, it was KID's gamble. Would he be willing to lend the thief a hand? Even if he wouldn't ask for it? Just out of his own free will. Only in order to have the opportunity to play tag some more, knowing that one day KID won't return his heist target.

He turned on the futon again, looking distractedly at the space before him, imagining a world without KID. He let out a breathless chuckle and closed his eyes. Yes… he would at least try to help the thief. No matter how much he would come to regret it later on. Simply because KID didn't deserve to get locked away and that Shinichi didn't want to live in a black and white world. He let out a light sigh and allowed his mind to drift away to the dream world, where he could chase after the thief once more and then hear him laughing with Ran, Kazuha and Heiji on their way to the bus stop.

* * *

 _ ***bows* See you next time~**_


	5. On sleepless days

_**Ladies and gentlemen! I humbly welcome you to the next story of this series!**_

* * *

 **This story is somewhat special – as it was created as a birthday gift for my dear beta reader and a friend – madelita! Happy birthday!**

* * *

 _ **The Sleeping Detective, is known to be more of a joke than a real investigator – until he of course falls into sleep and gets serious. But why is it that way? By no means he is a stupid man, why would he chose to act like one?**_

 **Time in F &H – sometimes during chapter 29 – but could easily fit anywhere;**

 **Characters in the story – Mouri Kogoro;**

 **Genre – character exploration, family;**

 **Warnings – kind of a depression piece;**

 **Background information – Ever since Shinichi discovered that he won't be able to stay at Ran's side as Conan for long, it has became harder for him to uphold a cheerful act during their phone call conversations. He tries to hide it, but she knows something is wrong. And it's eating her alive.**

 _ **So without further delay…**_

 _ **Please enjoy and review! :)**_

* * *

 **Story 5: On sleepless days**

* * *

Kogoro empties another can of Beer down his throat. He's not sure how many he has drank till now. He could probably count the empty ones, but that seemed as too much trouble. He wasn't having a good day, or even a week… make it a life actually. He sighs heavily, wondering for the milliards time where did he go wrong.

He had a good start. Achieved high grades at the university, where he was an ace of his judo team (maybe he should have turned to sports rather than police work?). Soon after he married his childhood friend and had a baby with her. Dream come true, right? Together with his beloved Eri he worked for the police, as he wished as well and everything seemed fine… Only that it wasn't the case. It seems now that they slowly started drifting away from each other sometime after they started living together. It didn't start with anything big – a misunderstanding here, a small bicker there, staying longer at work, occasional snapping at each other after a long day… Until finally Eri decided to move away. And he didn't even try to stop her. Not even as he held his crying daughter, begging to tell her when mommy would be back. That was when gambling and beer started playing a larger role in his life.

He opened another can of beer mindlessly. The only woman he ever loved more than his wife would be probably his daughter. By now she was the light in his life, that forced him to go on. Sometimes it felt like she was his only light. This is why he watched her grow up, with her childhood friend at her side with some worry. It would be his worst nightmare, if these two ended up just like him and his love. Separate and bitter, but caring too much for each other to finally let go and go on with their lives alone. It was probably this suspense that was killing something inside of him. And then that brat suddenly disappeared.

Seeing her worry he tried persuading her to let the boy go. He never got to find out if he could persuade her, because the phone calls started. Calling only once in a blue moon, making his cute little Ran unable to forget him. And despite Kogoro's protests all he could do was to helplessly watch his daughter fall more and more for the boy. And hear her cry, when she thought nobody was listening. He couldn't help but wonder how many times he failed to hear her cry.

If he didn't know how much it would hurt Ran, he would personally strangle the boy, the first opportunity he got. As it is, he supposed that he would prefer to drag the brat back by his shag and somehow force to stay, but whenever he sees him, his just unable to stand his attitude and before he manages himself to recollect, the boy is gone like morning mist. Which annoys Kogoro even further. He did try secretively investigate him, but came up empty. As if he was literally vanishing.

Which is why all he can do is drink, until he doesn't care anymore whenever he sees the longing look on his daughter's face. But even through the haze he didn't miss it that lately Ran was looking more and more disturbed. She doesn't talk to him about it of course. He probably doesn't deserve it. She just scoffs it and says that he's wrong or finds some excuse. He wishes that he would one day have his miraculous narcoleptic attack solve this for him. But this happens only when somebody dies. A gift capable of bringing justice to the world and fame for him, remaining silent when he truly needs it.

He shook the can over his open mouth and grimaces finding it empty again. He throws it away and it bounces with a metallic clang. He growls with annoyance when his reaching hand doesn't meet a full one. His life sucks and now he's out of beer to mute his thoughts out. An unwanted question slips into his mind, forcing him to wonder if Ran isn't off somewhere crying her eyes out again. He turns the volume up and attempts singing along with the cute Yoko on the screen. Because there isn't a damn thing he can do to help the light of his life from fading away. And it hurts too much for him to bear.

* * *

 _ **I sincerely hope you enjoyed the story, but before I'll say my goodbyes for now I'd like to draw your attention to the stories written, by madelita.  
She really does have a huge imagination and a lot of unique ideas – that along with a nice writing style make her stories very nice to read :)**_

 _ ***bows* See you next time~**_


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